Southwest Airlines Community

I wish I could give you the why, but at this point, all we have is what is on the website: "s ervice will resume at a later date."   If it would make you feel better, you might decide to choose another airline and save your travel funds for another SW trip.         ... View more

This is a legal issue and not a SW one.    My personal solution: I aim for exit row seats as a A Lister (Preferred). Pre-boarders can't sit in the exit row.   Works for me. Otherwise, I give the benefit of the doubt.   My grandmother used to look perfectly healthy and able, but she had a significant vision issue. The extra time was helpful for her -- as it is for countless others with invisible challenges.   ... View more

Here is what the SW site says: " Please keep in mind that Southwest Employees  may  ask for age verification at any point within the Customer journey, so Customers should travel with a copy or original of any government-issued ID, such as a birth certificate or passport, for their Lap Child."   They do only use the docs to verify birthdate, but if I were you, I would try and carry a birth certificate. The physical paper of a copy or photo of it will do, and we have always used the hospital ones -- not even the official ones from the government office.   I imagine that they would accept a shot record if it has the birthdate, but given the guidelines above, I would not bank on it.   ... View more

@mejohnso, BNA is my home airport, and it has been going through quite the overhaul over the past few years. I'll say this: the food options used to be pretty lackluster, and the airport secured a new vendor to work with local Nashville eateries to expand the airport dining selections. That remains a work in progress, so there are some new places today, but in the future, it will be pretty awesome! Also that means that most places have been closed either due to the pandemic or due to construction (BN, Auntie Anne's, pizza, etc. -- all closed).   Glad you got to experience the new terminal D as well -- it is beautiful! But if you want to eat, you do have to venture to other parts of the airport, at least for now. You can get coffee and beef there, but that is about it.   Today, your best bets are 400 Degrees, serving Nashville hot chicken, and Barista Parlor, serving coffee and sandwiches and pastries. 8th and Roast is good for coffee, and there are a few brewery options as well if you want a beer.   Beyond that, we wait for what is to be a much more diverse selection in the future. Please come back and visit!   Thanks for the tags, @TheMiddleSeat @ksbrg @bec102896!   ... View more

I think you'll find everything you need to know on the Young Travelers page on Southwest's site.    Access it here.   Happy flying!   ... View more

According to SW's site:   " Two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. If the child and the adult are both holding an “A” boarding pass, they should board in their assigned boarding position."   The challenge lies in the fact that families often do not fit this mold. Ex: What happens if you have a three year old, an 8 year old, and two parents? Most gate agents are not going to separate the family to board separately; they will allow them to board together during family boarding.   I do get where you are coming from. If you have a family of seven, for example, where most of the kids are beyond the family boarding age, it can be frustrating. Ultimately, it is up to the gate agent who is boarding the plane.   If you would like to share your concerns directly with SW, you can use one of the Contact Us methods below.   ... View more

@rwwood Thanks for sharing your thoughts.   The SW Community here is primarily for customers, so to ensure your comments reach the right folks at SW, I encourage you to communicate via one of the Contact Us methods below.   In this case, you might choose to send a letter.   Southwest Airlines P.O. Box 36647-1CR Dallas, Texas 75235     ... View more

Someone had a similar question earlier, and I'll share with you similar feelings that I shared with them:   Southwest is adding new routes all while also trying to ensure it can keep it's planes full enough to have a healthy cash flow. That means big adjustments in schedules.  My home airport is in Nashville, and while we have a ton of non-stops, we have fewer numbers of non-stops on any given day due to demand. These changes are common across the industry, but you may feel them more with SW as it uses less of a hub and spoke model; traditionally, they don't operate mainly through hubs and offer many direct/non-stop options.   One could guess that as travel picks back up, you might fine direct options from ATL > DTW. But it is hard to know. ATL is a big market for SW, so there are lots of direct flights to many places currently. Also, ATL and DTW are big Delta markets, which might play into competition/profitability for SW.   Since this is a customer community, feel free to reach out to SW directly to share your concerns. ... View more

Southwest is adding new routes all while also trying to ensure it can keep it's planes full enough to have a healthy cash flow. That means big adjustments in schedules.  My home airport is in Nashville, and while we have a ton of non-stops, we have fewer numbers of non-stops on any given day due to demand. These changes are common across the industry, but you may feel them more with SW as it uses less of a hub and spoke model; traditionally, they don't operate mainly through hubs and offer many direct/non-stop options.   One could guess that as travel picks back up, the frequency of non-stop flights could as well, but that also may not be true depending on SW's strategic plans for Columbus.   There are non-stops/direct options that do still exist for CMH: BNA, MCO, HOU, PHX -- these are just a few I found quickly.   Since this is a customer community, feel free to reach out to SW directly to share your concerns.   ... View more

I'm sorry for your experience -- especially since it sounds like you were doing your best to comply with mandates.   Since this is a customer forum, you'll need to contact SW directly to report your experience.   Contact Customer Relations    ... View more

Unfortunately, all we have for now is "Service will resume at a later date." You can follow all the COVID adjustments for scheduling here.   Since this is a customer community, you can direct your inquiry directly to SW via one of the Contact Us methods below, but I am afraid you might not get an additional info until there is a public announcement.   Good luck.   ... View more

While we do have kids, I do not have this specific experience based on their ages. But I do understand the challenge that comes with the age of two and keeping a mask on.   That said, I did want to note that regardless of the experience of others, you risk being removed from the flight if you choose to fly and your child can't keep the mask on. It's unfortunate, but it is the reality, especially since not only is the SW's policy, but it is also federal policy.   See more about SW's policy here; this is built around the federal policy. It is worth noting that exceptions are only allowed for disabilities. You can read more about that at this same link.   If you have serious concerns about the ability to wear a mask, you might choose to delay air travel at this time.    ... View more